Yuzhu

Yuzhu

Yuzhu is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　 Produced in the Tianmu Mountain area around Yuqian region of our city, it is a type of Atractylodes macrocephala, and due to its superior quality, it is specially called “Yuzhu.”

　　The Tianmu Mountain range stretches from Huangshan in Anhui into Zhejiang, where it rises again within the former Yuqian County, forming the main peak of West Tianmu Mountain, Xianrending, at an elevation of 1,506 meters, which stands opposite the 1,479-meter Daxian Peak of East Tianmu Mountain, forming the “Eyes of Heaven.” Between these two peaks lies Central Tianmu Mountain, which serves as the watershed between the Taihu Lake water system and the Qiantang River water system from north to south. The former Yuqian County and Lin’an County were divided by this ridge. Legend has it that one year, a Huizhou merchant appraising a stalk of Atractylodes said that half of it was Yuzhu while the other half was not. Upon verification, it turned out the plant indeed grew on the dividing ridge—half within Yuqian territory, and half outside. This legend may be somewhat exaggerated, but it does demonstrate that Yuzhu has truly exceptional characteristics. In the year 104 AD, the eminent traditional Chinese medicine scholar Zhao Xuemin recorded in his book Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica: “Atractylodes produced in Yuqian have spotted roots and stronger potency. These are recent variations; omitting them would mean overlooking them in time.” Zhao was rigorous in his scholarship, often motivating himself with the principle, “I’d rather be mocked for being overly cautious than misled by hasty belief,” and he had unique insights in plant evolution and species variation. He pointed out that Yuzhu is a “recent variation” and thus documented it for posterity, so as to prevent it from being overlooked in the future—a thoughtful move that left the earliest written record of Yuzhu. Later, the Qing Yi Lu also recorded: “Qianshan produces fine Atractylodes, with gnarled and grotesque shapes resembling animals.” This is not unfounded. Indeed, wild Atractylodes grow in West Tianmu Mountain. Their seeds spread by wind (called wind-sown), by birds (called bird-seed), or through the droppings of rodents and birds after consumption (called rat-seed or sparrow-seed). Their forms are wildly varied, and later generations named them based on their shapes, such as “Swan Crane Atractylodes,” “Lion Atractylodes,” “Crane Crest Atractylodes,” and “Chicken Leg Atractylodes.” But most resemble chicken legs, hence Yuzhu is also called “Chicken Leg Atractylodes.” According to the Yuqian County Annals, wherever Atractylodes grows, snow does not accumulate in winter, a testament to the herb’s potent medicinal power. Precious Yuzhu, when cut open, reveals a pale yellow, chrysanthemum-like cross-section; if it also has cinnabar dots, it is considered even better, exuding an incomparably fragrant aroma that rivals ginseng. The medicinal community often refers to “Southern Ginseng, Northern Atractylodes,” highlighting how, due to differences in soil and water, the tonic effects of Atractylodes for northerners are akin to those of ginseng for southerners. During the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty, pharmacies in Yuqian County flourished, prominently displaying signs reading “Authentic Herbs” and “Selling Yuzhu.” They carefully selected Atractylodes shaped like chicken legs or cranes, processed them with exquisite craftsmanship, leaving a five-inch stem and tying it with a red thread, then packing them in refined boxes as premium goods for sale. Their price was nearly that of ginseng, and their fame spread far and wide. Herbal merchants from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Shanghai came to trade, and the product was even exported overseas. Due to the limited availability of wild Yuzhu, artificial cultivation began. Blessed by favorable climate and soil, the Atractylodes grown in Yuqian indeed differed from those from other regions. When cultivated properly, they too developed a chrysanthemum-shaped cross-section. Though smaller in size, their fragrance was uniquely distinctive, earning recognition from the medicinal community. In the early 1960s, the Zhejiang Provincial Health Department organized a special investigation and officially affirmed the name “Yuzhu.”

　　Yuzhu is warm in nature, with a sweet and bitter taste. It invigorates the spleen, supplements the middle, dries dampness, promotes urination, and induces sweating, excelling especially in eliminating dampness and promoting diuresis. Aside from being used in TCM prescriptions, it can also be sliced and steeped alone as a drink to treat conditions like spleen-stomach dampness, weakness in limbs, and soreness. In recent years, the Yuqian Winery has also used it to produce Yuzhu wine.

　　Yuzhu has a long growth period and thrives in well-drained sandy soil. It should not be grown repeatedly in the same plot. After cultivating Yuzhu, one must wait five to six years before replanting, and it cannot be rotated with crops such as Chinese cabbage, peanuts, sweet potatoes, or tobacco. Rotation with gramineous crops is preferable. Typically, seeds are sown in March or April. The first year is for cultivating seedlings; in February of the second year, the seedlings are transplanted into the field. Yuzhu is usually harvested around Frost’s Descent, and no later than Start of Winter. Fresh Yuzhu is dried into dried Yuzhu, with about 270 jin of fresh Yuzhu yielding around 100 jin of dried Yuzhu.

　　For a long time, Yuzhu was treated the same as ordinary Atractylodes as a Category II collectively purchased material, with a low price of just over 200 yuan per dan. In recent years, after being removed from that category, its price has fluctuated wildly. From 1984 to early 1985, it even soared to 4,000 yuan per dan, before falling back to around 1,700 yuan. The production volume of our city before liberation is unknown, but it is estimated that the highest pre-war yield was 4,000–5,000 dan. After liberation, Yuzhu production recovered and developed rapidly, experiencing two production peaks. The first was from 1957 to 1959, with production reaching over 3,900 dan in 1957; the second was from 1967 to 1973, with the peak year being 1969, producing 4,600 dan. From 1974 to the present, affected by fluctuations in medicinal material market prices and changes in Cornus officinalis income, yields have risen and fallen slightly, with smaller variations and a slow upward trend. (Lin’an)